From Taika Waititi to Lorde, these Kiwi stars have made the jump to full-fledged Hollywood success!
Whether it’s a top-rating television show, conquering the music charts or being tapped to helm a highly anticipated superhero flick, these New Zealanders have hit the big time.
Keep reading below to see our roundup of the New Zealand celebrities who are making waves in Hollywood
Anna Hutchinson: Actress Anna Hutchinson’s career began on New Zealand screens playing Delphi Greenlaw on Shortland Street. Since her Shortland Street days, she has been gracing Australian and American screens in shows such as Power Rangers and Underbelly. In 2012 she landed a role as Jules Louden in the slasher film The Cabin in the Woods.
Beulah Koale: The former Shortland Street actor has been announced as part of the rebooted cast for the 8th season of popular US television show Hawaii Five-0. Beulah also landed a starring role in the Oscar-tipped DreamWorks movie Thank You For Your Service, which also stars Miles Teller and Amy Schumer and is due for release later this year.
Anna Paquin: A Canadian-born actress who grew up in Wellington, New Zealand, Anna received the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in the film The Piano at the tender age of 11. She is best known for her roles in the X-Men franchise and TV series True Blood.
Cliff Curtis: The Rotorua-born star’s acting career started off with roles in amateur musical productions. Since his theatre days, he has starred in films such as Once Were Warriors (1994), Whale Rider (2002) and The Dark Horse (2014). Most recently, he’s been battling zombies as lead character Travis Manawa in The Walking Dead spinoff Fear the Walking Dead.
Finola Dwyer: The Kiwi producer has had recent success with the critically acclaimed film Brooklyn, which was nominated for Best Picture at the 88th Academy Awards.
Jemaine Clement and Bret McKenzie: The comedy duo is best known for their work as Flight of the Conchords. With a mix of comedy and music, the duo have received and been nominated for a variety of awards including Best Comedy Album at the 50th Annual Grammy Awards – and Bret nabbed the Oscar for Best Original Song in 2012 for “Man or Muppet” from The Muppets.
Georgia Fowler: The Auckland-born model debuted on the Victoria’s Secret runway in 2016. Georgia now lives in New York and has been working for big brands such as Balenciaga and Lacoste.
Karl Urban: The Wellington-born actor and father of two has racked up an impressive list of film credits over the years. He is best known for his roles in Xena: Warrior Princess, Hercules, The Lord of the Rings trilogy, the Riddick film series and the Star Trek film series.
Keisha Castle-Hughes: Keisha shot to fame in her leading role as Paikea “Pai” Apirana in the film Whale Rider, which garnered her an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress in 2004. Since her rise to prominence she has secured roles in various films and television series such as Star Wars and Game of Thrones.
Keith Urban: The New Zealand-born musician has made headlines for his hit songs, appearances on shows such as American Idol and The Voice and for famously being married to the stunning actress Nicole Kidman.
KJ Apa: Like many others, KJ Apa began his career on Shortland Street as troubled teen Kane Jenkins. More recently, KJ has been blowing up the Hollywood scene following his debut as Archie Andrews on the hit television show Riverdale. KJ also secured a lead role as a young Ethan in the film A Dog’s Purpose, which was recently released in cinemas.
Riverdale Stranger Trailer
Lorde: Born and raised in Auckland, New Zealand, Ella Yelich-O’Connor took the music world by storm with her debut album Pure Heroine in 2013. Now, she’s back to reclaim her pop throne with follow-up album Melodrama – and she’s gained plenty of famous friends along the way, including Taylor Swift, Lena Dunham and others.
Lorde on Jimmy Fallon
Lucy Lawless: Lucy is best known for her lead role in the television series Xena: Warrior Princess. Over the years, the star has also had significant roles in television shows such as Battlestar Galactica, Parks and Rec and Spartacus.
Martin Henderson: The New Zealand-born hunk began his acting career at the age of 13, but broke out thanks to his role on Shortland Street as Stuart Neilson. Since leaving Ferndale, he has appreared in the ABC medical dramas Off the Map and Grey’s Anatomy.
Melanie Lynskey: Originally hailing from New Plymouth, Melanie will be familiar to most thanks to her role as Rose on the hit CBS show Two and a Half Men. She began her career in the film Heavenly Creatures, directed by the renowned Peter Jackson. Melanie has also featured in popular films such as Up in the Air, Coyote Ugly and Sweet Home Alabama.
Rhys Darby: From energetic comedy routines to story telling and sound effects, New Zealand born actor and comedian Rhys Darby has always kept it interesting. Rhys is best known for his role as Murray Hewitt in the television series Flight of the Conchords and his role alongside Jim Carrey in Yes Man.
Rose McIver: Rose got her big break in the feature film The Lovely Bones in 2009. After starting her on-screen career at the young age of two, doing commercials, Rose has since built up quite the list of credits including Power Rangers, Masters of Sex and ABC’s Once Upon a Time. Currently, she stars as the lead on the CW zombie drama iZombie.
Russell Crowe The Aussies have well and truly claimed this talented actor, but Russell is actually a New Zealand citizen! From acting and film producing to being a musician, his list of credits are seemingly endless. He is best known for his roles in A Beautiful Mind, which he received multiple awards for, Gladiator and Les Miserables.
Simone Kessell: Simone will be a familiar face to many Kiwis thanks to her role as Jodi on McLeod’s Daughters and Isabelle Wilson in Underbelly, but the star has found big-screen success too with a role in the recent San Andreas.
